


The Last Padawan

by gryffindorcutie



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul Being a Little Shit, Drama, F/M, Forbidden Love, Gray Jedi (Star Wars), Gray Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi, Jedi Code (Star Wars), Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Temple (Star Wars), Jedi Training (Star Wars), Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Padawans (Star Wars), Planet Ahch-To (Star Wars), Porgs Are Friends Not Food, Post-Star Wars Prequel Trilogy & Pre-Star Wars: Original Trilogy, Post-Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Pre-Star Wars: A New Hope, Romance, Slowish build, Teacher-Student Relationship, War, Young Obi-Wan Kenobi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:35:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27456589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gryffindorcutie/pseuds/gryffindorcutie
Summary: Following Anakin's betrayal and the devastation of Order 66, Obi-Wan Kenobi is left with a world nothing like he once knew as a Jedi Master.  Stricken with grief, he plans to exile himself on Tatooine and leave his life as a Jedi behind.However, before he can find peace in exile, he is drawn to the ancient temple where he once finished his training as a Padawan.  A small, but fierce beacon of hope in the form of a lone human from the outer rims stirs inside of him a feeling that he has sworn to live without.  He accepts her as a Padawan and begins to train her, but the odds are stacked against Obi-Wan and his untamable trainee as Darth Maul rises from the shadows seeking revenge.Or, Mila Syko tempts the most dedicated and faithful Jedi into absolute madness.
Relationships: Darth Maul/Original Female Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi/Original Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 66





	1. Introduction

  
  
  
  


**_"Bound by time, you are in haste._ **

**_Rooted in the eternal, you are governed by grace."_ **

-Sadhguru

  
  


**On an island of ancient ruins, a stranded human girl wishes on the stars to go home.**

**On a ship charted for a desert planet, a broken man is called upon to a far away, forgotten place.**

**On a neutral planet, a ruthlessly discarded Sith apprentice plots his revenge against the one man who took everything from him.**

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I initially planned on writing a kylo ren fic, and I know probably only like two people will read this because not as many people simp over obi-wan kenobi BUT,  
> I rewatched the prequels again and Ewan McGregor slays me and obi-wan is a badass, bye don't look at me.
> 
> playlist I listen to while writing this:
> 
> 1.Falling-Emilee  
> 2\. Stargirl Interlude (fet. Lana Del Rey) The Weeknd  
> 3\. Be on My Way (Full)- H.E.R.  
> 4\. Lucky Stars- Coheed and Cambria
> 
> (introduction edited 11/11/2020)


	2. Stranded

“And me, being the small troublemaker I was, I chose the blue rocks, because they were _clearly_ a finer material for a ceremonial necklace but Pauahi said-- _Hey, wait! Where are you guys going?_ ” Mila cried as her small audience waddled away from her, mid-sentence. “See you another time, then...”

The porgs didn’t reply. They never did. Mila was used to it at this point.

It had been well over nine years since her last conversation with another human being, or any species who fluently spoke her language. She still used her native tongue when she was alone though, so she wouldn’t forget it. It might be useful someday if she ever got off this island.

For now, she was stranded.

So she hauled herself to her feet, and continued carrying the jugs of fresh water up the stairs. One hundred stairs down, two hundred more to go.

As she climbed, she continued speaking to no one and nothing in particular.

“Of course, one day when a ship does come, I’ll be the first one out of here. I can’t very well sit around and wait for the galaxy to right itself, can I?”

As usual, there was no response, only the sound of crashing waves and chirps of the sea creatures on the shore.

“Except, I suppose I don’t know _when_ that will be, exactly.” She said, hoisting the water up a steep, rocky incline to the next set of stairs. “Still, I’m going to be ready for it.”

“I can’t lose hope.” Mila told no one. “I’ve just gotta keep taking each day as it comes.”

Dipping her head, she entered the smallest rock hut at the top of the hill. It was Pauahi’s.

Pauahi was the caretaker who had requested she bring the jugs of water up to the village, and so she chirped her thanks as Mila set them down.

Panting, Mila collapsed on the small seat by the fire.

“You’re welcome, Pauahi.” She said, grinning. “I need the workout anyway.”

Pauahi grunted in her native dialect.

“No it wasn’t too cold, thank you for checking on…” Mila trailed off as she looked over her shoulder to find the hut empty. “...me.”

She sighed, rolling onto her back. Pauahi shouted back into the hut.

“Yes, yes. I’ll be there in a minute.” She called. Limberly, she jumped from her back onto her feet in one swift movement. It was a fun trick she learned when she was just a kid. Perhaps she was getting too old to jump around like that, but the island’s scenery only offered so much entertainment.

That’s why she made a game out of her chores, jumping about. She would try balancing on one foot as she walked the narrow rocks, or she would scale a cliff instead of taking the stairs.

In the warmer season, she would spend time jumping from the cliffs into the sea and seeing how many flips she could do before she hit the icy waters. Well, Mila did so in the winter too. The wind and rain only added to the thrill. Though she’d had a few close calls, she seemed to have made a game of defying death.

If she didn’t try entertaining herself in some way, her life would be miserable. And it wouldn’t do to dwell on what she couldn’t change, which was: Ahch-To was an abandoned ruin and no one was coming any time soon. Especially not after Order 66 wiped out the Jedi and all they stood for.

\--------

Mila ducked under the entrance of the hut and stood up again as she exited. These huts were built for the lanai caretakers, and not for someone of her size. She was too tall, at least by the standards of the limited island population.

Mila hadn’t seen a human woman in over a decade, and a human man in about nine years, so it was hard to guess what was normal.

Paf and Tik, the spice runners who caught her stowing away on their ship, had dumped her there on the island when she was only eleven. They were tall for humans. They had called her Tiny back then, so she was probably small for a human.

The irony of now being the largest being on the remote island was not lost on her.

Mila tried not to think about those two very often. For at least a year after they left her, she had been sure that they would come back for her, but they never did.

Pauahi took her in and fed her, then she swiftly put Mila to work. Then Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Knight, had visited the island, and it made her feel hopeful for the first time since her parents had died. She had a purpose on the island then. She believed she could make Jedis like Obi-Wan proud and become a caretaker.

It took at least a year to understand the basics of the language of the lanai, though sometimes they spoke in sounds that she was incapable of producing. So they learned to speak to each other in their native tongues, and for the most part, they understood one another.

Emotion and body language were universal, and she knew when she was causing trouble. Which was nearly every day. It had been long since she had realized that she didn’t belong here. That she had overstayed her welcome. And yet, there was nothing she could do.

She had been foolish. If she could go back now... Well, she couldn’t. And even if she could, the emotionally wounded orphan would probably choose the island of isolation again anyway. That poor little girl had no idea how long of a stay she was in for.

But it was no use in regretting the past. She had realized that in her meditation long ago.

There in the outer rims, no one was coming.

The island she lived on was no enticing tourist destination, though sometimes she did imagine that she was on vacation.

As she used the buckets to collect the green milk of the thala-sirens (that often spit at her), she would always chat happily to herself as if she were giving a tour.

“And here we have the thala-siren in it’s natural habitat.” She gestured up at the creature who grunted it’s displeasure in her usual chattiness. “Come closer, folks, and see that this one has a particularly large snout-- _hey! Come back, Cookie, I didn’t mean it._ ”

Sometimes when she shivered through a stormy night, she would comfort herself by talking like the old radio hosts she would listen to in her father’s office.

“Yes, here on Ahch-To we pride ourselves in being the warmest destination in the outer rims. All sunny skies here.” She whispered to herself, huddled under layers of pelts. “So come on down, take your first jet out here and find the relaxation of a lifetime.”

It had been almost ten years since she had seen a telecast or listened to a radio show, but the travel commercials were still stuck in her head.

Her favorites were the cheesy, badly written songs.

_’Travel with Flora,  
you’ll never be bored-a,  
Yes a good time awaits you,  
on the planet of Naboo._

Come see the rivers of Naboo, and the seas of Alderaan at Flora Transport, your one-stop vacation destination.’

Mila’s father had been a salesman, or at least she thought he was. Maybe he was a mechanic. His memory had faded over the years until even his face was foggy when she tried to imagine it. Her mother had died when she was four, and she had no memory of her. It was better that way, she thought.

Mila was there when her father had been killed, and she hated to think about it. She tried her best not to.

 _Attachment leads to suffering._ The past will always be unchangeable.

These were truths that she knew all too well.

\-----

It took her almost an hour to get a fish large enough to feed everyone and haul it up to the tiny village. It was dark by then, and no one was around when she got to the usual fire pit. She set the fish down on the cutting block, abandoning it at once to find where everyone had gone.

She nearly passed the large temple ruins, before she heard some muffled laughter. Then she heard angry grumbling and more laughter.

She stepped back, ducking into the entrance. She groaned, seeing the smiling faces of the entire population of the island. smiling knowingly at her. They cheered, and one of the smallest lanai threw a handful of pebbles in the air.

“No.” She shook her head, laughing. “You guys, I told you not to bother yourselves with any of this. Especially you, Pauahi! It’s too sad, now that...”

The short lanai woman grumbled something about Mila being ungrateful, before shoving her forward.

Then the lanai began singing, trying their best to sing the words to the song she had taught them. At the end of the song, they presented her with the same odd rock that they had every year on this day since she had arrived.

Except this time, in the middle of the rock with the burning sticks (makeshift candles) was a blue stone necklace, carved with the temple symbol. The necklace of a caretaker.

“Oh, wow!” Mila cried, hot tears already spilling from her eyes. “ _You guys!_ ”

This was her twenty-first birthday. Had things not fallen apart several months before, today she would be ascending to the rank of caretaker. As it were, the almost ageless lanai wouldn’t be needing her anymore, even if she were stranded there forever. There wouldn’t be a need for a human caretaker to speak to the visiting Jedi, because the Jedi were no more.

Mila wiped a stray tear, embracing Pauahi in a hug until the small, elderly female pushed her away, grumbling about Mila’s crying making her want to cry.

“Thank you, everyone.” She grinned, blowing out her ‘candles’, before joining the others.

She knew her wish this year was one unlikely to ever come true, but she couldn’t help herself. As she sat under the stars eating her makku grass and drinking her shibu tea, she put her only wish out to the universe as she always did.

_Please, give me a purpose. Take me home. Bring me to my destiny._

\---------

She couldn’t sleep. In the hours just before sunrise, she felt restless.

When she decided she couldn’t take the tossing and turning anymore, she got up and dressed for the day. Taking the scraps of her makku grass and bread in a pouch, she walked down to the shoreline and started to feed her porg friends as she did every day.

While the lanai lived off of the land, consuming porgs and all kinds of sea life, Mila had adapted to a vegetarian lifestyle. It started off as learning how to prepare makku grass for the potential Jedi visitors, and now the plant was her preferred source of protein and nutrition.

That and green milk were all she had consumed for nearly a decade, to the point where she had forgotten what other food tasted like. Sometimes the meat tempted her, but something in her heart wouldn’t let her eat the small birds that kept her company.

And even though she often fetched fish for the lanai, she couldn’t bear to flay and prepare them. Something about it was too cruel for her.

Why kill her only companions when she could survive non-violently?

She knew her choice was annoying to all the lanai, but she never insisted the others do the same. It was their choice, as much as hers was to stubbornly refuse harming any animal unnecessarily.

After she fed the porgs, she pulled out her flute and played a simple melody, because that’s all that could be played on the little wooden instrument.

The hours of the early morning passed in peace, the waves much calmer than they had been in a long time. At last the sky glowed in warm hues of pink and orange as the sun peaked up from the horizon.

The porgs fluttered away, so Mila spoke to the air once more.

“Well, here’s to another year on the swellest island in the Outer Rim, folks.” She picked up a pebble and chucked it into the ocean. It sunk right in.

She sat on the rock formation again, sighing. There weren’t any rocks left in the area that she could lift.

In her hands she traced the necklace that had been crafted for her.

“We’ve got the best rocks, of course. Countless shapes and sizes.” She tried thinking of all the positive qualities of the island. It was a short list. “Milk. Green milk, to be specific. Makes your bones strong. Or so they say....”

The last lingering porg tilted its head at her.

“Okay fine, let’s not argue with science. It really does make your bones strong.”

She looked out into the endless sea, wishing something new would appear. Even a stormcloud or a ray of unusual light.

“So you can lift all the rocks with your strong bones. For forever. And ever….”

She squinted. Was that a small dot near the sun? She blinked. Nope. Just a spot from staring at the sun too long.

“You can make lots of things from rocks. Tools, houses…”

The porg next to her chirped, before fluttering away. All the porgs fluttered away in a flock.

“Jewelry, too.” She called out louder as they scurried away. “Huh? Am I right, folks?” She grinned, holding up her necklace.

None of them returned.

She huffed, collapsing on the rock again. “I’m going to be stuck here forever, aren’t I?”

The brief moment of existential dread passed as swiftly as it came. She had mastered the art of a micro-breakdown. Ten years on an island and anyone could, really.

Still, now her eyes drooped from sheer exhaustion. She blinked, laying back on the rock.

“Rocks also make _excellent_ pillows...” She yawned.

\-----------------

In her dream, she was aboard Paf and Tik’s cargo ship again, playing a game of Dejarik.

“Listen kid.” Tik grunted, his piece making a move that knocked out one of Mila’s.

Mila pouted, staring at the board in frustration. She _always_ lost in Dejarik. But this was the first time she had come close to winning. And now she had just made a really bad move. It was down to only a few pieces.

“The, uh, the thing is.” Paf continued for Taf, “We really can’t keep a kid on the ship.”

“It’s nothing personal.” Tik shrugged. “We like you, Tiny. ”

Mila glared at the burly man. “Then let me stay. I won’t cause any problems.”

The men shared a look.

“I promise I won’t ever knock over the shipment barrels again. It was an accident.” Mila said, pleadingly. “I promise.”

“We just can’t keep you around, Tiny, it’s, uh. It’s not a good look for guys like us.” Paf said. “We got business to do with, uh, business people and having a kid around makes things sloppy. No one likes doing sloppy business, ya know?”

“Look, Tiny.” Tiks' deep voice grumbled. “We’re gonna drop you at a nice spot, with some nice folks, and come get you when we drop off this shipment. Deal?”

“You’re lying.” Mila said, squinting at the man ten times her size.

“She always knows.” Paf chuckled. “Told you it wouldn’t work.” He nudged Tik.

Mila crossed her arms over her chest. She gave each of the men a mean look before making her move on the board. In her frustration, she found an opening in Tik’s strategy. In a series of moves, she then had Tik’s last piece engaged in a tough battle with her last piece.

When Mila’s piece landed a swift kick, knocking out Tik’s piece, she’d won the game.

“Yes!” She exclaimed, “Finally, I won!”

Her triumphant grin slipped away, however, when she saw Tik’s dejected face.

“Sorry Tikky.” She apologizes, wondering if she had genuinely won, or if he had let her. “I didn’t mean to win. I can always lose if you decide let me stay.” She tried with a hopeful smile.

Tik sighed heavily. “I gotta take a walk.” His voice cracked at the end.

Paf cleared his throat, standing suddenly. “Look rest up, okay, we have big plans in the morning.” He gave her a weak smile before following Tik into their bedroom.

Mila had no choice but to lie down in her makeshift cot, under the thick blanket and rest. Maybe they would change their minds in the morning.

They didn’t.

Mila had woken to the mechanical sounds of the ship lifting off. They had dumped her, cot and all, on the shore of Ahch-To. And she never saw them again. They didn’t even say goodbye.

Little Mila had been left to sit on the shore and cry as she watched the ship fly away.

\--------

Mila woke, gasping. She didn’t usually dream about such things so clearly. The memories had replayed like they were happening all over again in her mind.

She felt haunted. The pain felt fresh again. The abandonment. She could swear she could still hear the mechanical whir of their ship as it lifted from the rocky beach.

Her peace was disturbed now.

She stood, rubbing her eyes and stretching. Rocks _did not_ make excellent pillows, she admitted to herself. The sun was directly overhead, which meant she had overslept.

The caretakers would probably be angry, not that any of her chores really mattered anymore. She groaned, throwing a larger rock into the sea in frustration. She jogged up the hill towards the temple ruins. The villagers were all moving about, performing their daily rituals as usual.

She felt restless and anxious. She needed the balance she had strived for to fill her with peace again.

There was a pull, she could feel it. It was calling her to the temple to find that balance once again. The pain of her dream had unsettled her, but she could rid herself of the pain. Perhaps the temple knew such things, knew her better than she knew herself. She had meditated there for months, after all.

The pull was intense, as if something inside her was screaming at her to reach the temple and finally discard the ugly feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.

She ignored Pauahi crying out to her and sprinted to the temple.

She _would not_ give up hope. She _would_ leave someday. She _would_ find her purpose.

“There is no passion, there is peace.” She chanted, finding the central rock, and sitting. She closed her eyes.

“There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.” She said softly, inhaling deeply.

She exhaled slowly. The memory of Tik and Paf laughing flashed in her mind. She winced, gut twisting.

“There is no passion, there is serenity.”

A gust of wind blew her hair in her face, and she pushed it away. _Focus._ she chided herself.

“There is no chaos, there is harmony.” She whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

 _Peace. Find peace._ She willed herself. But she couldn’t finish. She couldn’t bring herself to say the last part. Something in her knew the truth. That Paf and Tik were gone. Something had happened to them.

“There is no death, there is the force.” A smooth, deep voice finished.

Immediately she opened her eyes, crashing to the floor. The floor? She didn't ponder it for long, jumping to her feet to face the intruder.

A faint blush coated her cheeks as she looked up, and she barely contained her gasp.

Standing before her was a man. A real, living, breathing human _man._ His blue eyes had dark circles beneath him, and his hair was longer, but here was no mistaking who he was, even after ten years. The man who once had smiled at her, a curious girl following him around the island during his last visit. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi, the last surviving Jedi Master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally finished the first chapter, wooo! 
> 
> please let me know what you think 😊
> 
> also I know Yoda is alive but no one finds that out that until later on, hence the title of this book and Mila recognizing him as the last Jedi master. 
> 
> <3


	3. Takeoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mila gets off of Ahch-To.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies in advance for any spelling/grammar errors <3

Mila tilted her head in curiosity as she looked up at the man. Obi-Wan… was he an illusion? A ghost? Before she could speak, Pauahi barged into the temple carrying a stack of rocks. 

“Pauahi?” Mila whispered fearfully, still gazing wide-eyed at the man. “Are you seeing this? Are we being visited by a force ghost? A mirage?”

The woman grumbled in annoyance, telling Mila that she was delusional, and that there was no such thing as a Mirage on an island. That a mirage was a desert kind of thing.

“Well, one could argue that a mirage isn’t _entirely_ out of the question when you’re surrounded by endless water.”

The lanai woman threw her hands in the air, walking deeper into the temple with a stack of rocks. 

Mila turned her attention back to the man, who was regarding her with apprehension. 

“Who are you?” He asked calmly.

Mila broke into an excited grin, then. Maybe a hologram? Holograms could definitely speak, right? This was the second time he had spoken, and it sounded so clear. So real.

She took a tentative step forward, and then another. Then she grabbed the man’s face in both her hands, cupping his jaw firmly as she eyed him up close. Now that she was only inches away, she realized there was far too much detail in this nice, handsome face for it to be a hologram or a ghost. He was definitely real, and warm to the touch.

He wasn’t a mirage. He was really here.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi.” She looked up into his eyes in awe. They were so blue. Not the dark grey-blue of the endless, depressing sea that surrounded her but the satisfying true blue of the sky. Open and fathomless. “You really are standing here, aren’t you?”

His eyebrows drew together and he took a step back, tearing himself away from her grasp. 

She blinked, jerking her hands backwards. “Sorry.” She whispered breathlessly. Her cheeks flushed as she realized belatedly that she had done something to make him uncomfortable. Her first human conversation in a decade and already she was blowing it already. Perfect.  
It was time for a recovery. She tried to remember what her father had taught her long ago. “Mila Syko. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Master Kenobi.” She tried again, in a steadier voice.

She smiled widely when she finished, holding out her hand. _There. Those were proper manners, weren’t they?_

“We’ve met before?” His eyes scanned over her down to her feet wrappings, and then back up. “No…”

Mila was confused, then. She shook her head, dropping her hand to her side.

“Well yes, actually. “ She retorted, “We have. Almost ten years ago?”

Obi-Wan studied her a minute longer before he let out an exasperated sigh. “The girl.” He ran a hand over his face, and Mila watched with great interest.

Humans were much more expressive with their emotions than the lanai. She had forgotten. It was so interesting the way his blue eyes widened. The way his lips pressed together. The path his fingers traveled through his facial hair. Were all men like this? She couldn’t remember.

“You had wanted to become a caretaker…” He said, pacing the floor before her,  
“But you weren’t _meant_ to. No human is meant to live in total isolation. Someone was meant to come and get you eight years ago.”

Mila blinked in response. Come and get her? As in….

“Did you not answer the transmission?” He asked calmly

“Transmission?” Mila said, shaking her head. “No. Our transmitter’s broken, actually. It only works one way. If I could call anyone, I’d have done it ages ago. Though, nobody knows of this place save for the Jedi, so it would have been useless anyhow.”

She bit her lip, not daring to drift into the mindset of despair. It doesn’t matter what could have been. She stared at her feet and willed herself to be calm. 

She couldn’t change the fact that she had been here for almost ten years. Long enough for a republic to fall and the clone wars to be over and for all the jedi to have been slaughtered. She couldn’t think about it, or she would break down. And that wouldn’t do. 

Not when she finally had hope to leave.

“No one…” He trailed off, stepping forward with a concerned expression. “No one has come in all this time?”

Mila felt her heart flutter as she looked back up at him. He was so tall. Maybe she _really was_ short for a human. This was the first time in almost a decade she’d had to look up at someone while talking face to face. His hair was a light sandy brown, his beard neatly groomed, and his clothes simple and clean. The picture perfect Jedi.

She almost had forgotten his question, because she was so busy just… looking at him. He was kind of beautiful. And his voice, it was so smooth and calming. 

He was confident and measured, yet something was troubling him. Now as he looked down at her, his blue eyes looked sad.

Mila blinked, processing his question again. She remembered it was rude to stare, so she looked away.

“No one has come to this island since you left, Master Kenobi.” She answered him, playing absentmindedly with her necklace. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she felt waves of troubled emotion rolling off of him in waves. It wasn’t her emotion, but she felt at fault for it.

“I… I am truly sorry, Mila.” He said, voice broken.

She studied his sad blue eyes again, feeling unable to look away for long.

“The past is done.” She told him simply. She didn’t want to go through the what-ifs. They never led to anywhere worth going.

He nodded, still stroking his chin. 

“Will you take me now?” She asked, smiling hopefully.

His eyes widened a fraction, and he stilled his movements. 

“Have I said something wrong?” She asked, “Can you please take me on your ship? Will you take me today?” She tried to clarify.

He cleared his throat. “Take you _away_... on my ship. Right. Yes, I will.” He scratched at the back of his head. 

“Oh, wonderful.” Mila beamed. “Perfect.”

She embraced him in a tight hug. “Thank you, Master Kenobi.” 

He was stiff, patting her back gently. She pulled away when she finally realized he wasn’t hugging her back. Perhaps hugging was an outdated custom wherever he was from.

“You are supposed to put your arms around me.” She told him cheerfully. Then she threw back her head and laughed. “Wow it’s good to have another human around. Tell me, have you seen the rivers of Naboo?”

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows drew back together, and his hand rubbed his beard. “Sorry?”

Pauahi came back, now shouting at her. _Get away from him! Don’t you remember anything I taught you?_

Mila blushed at the caretaker’s words. She had forgotten that Jedi weren’t supposed to be affectionate and that was why he didn’t hug her back. She had also forgotten, as Pauahi had reminded her, that since she was no longer a girl so her actions could be perceived in _other_ ways. 

“Nevermind.” She muttered, bowing her head as Pauahi scolded her again under her breath, exiting the temple. Mila flushed, fiddling with her necklace. “Will you take me now, please?”

“Yes I will take you _with me_ , Mila,” Obi-Wan answered, “But first I must ask you, how did you know to reach out to me?”

“Me? ” She asked incredulously, “ But I didn’t.”

“So you didn’t try to reach me?” He furrowed his brows. She fiddled with her necklace more.

“No? I told you already, the transmitter is broken.” 

He shook his head. He took a few measured steps around her, seeming to appraise her. 

“I didn’t receive a call.. through a transmission. It was more like a pull, through the force. I have no doubts it was you. You reached out through the force. To me.”

“Sorry?” Mila shrugged, shaking her head. “I’m no Jedi, Master Kenobi. If I pulled you, it was an accident.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “I should have sensed it when I first met you, but I didn’t.” He stroked his lips with his thumb. “You are indeed strong with the force, Mila.”

She shook her head, “But…” 

She trailed off. But it wasn’t fair. Why, then, was she left alone for so long? Why hadn’t she been trained? She should have been a part of the wars, not marooned on an island in the outskirts of the known universe. Why did she have to discover this now when all hope was lost. When so many years had passed. 

“I made a wish.” She whispered, remembering the night before. “I imagined sending a message out to the universe. But… I was only imagining it.” She bit her lip.

“It wasn’t your imagination,” He shook his head. “I heard it. Not entirely, but a voice… your voice. I had a vision. A woman sleeping on a rock on the shores of Ahch-To. I didn’t know if it was real, so I came to see. I journeyed all night to find you, Mila. The force makes no mistakes. That I am sure of.”

“I didn’t hear your ship land.” Mila said, absentmindedly. “I was dreaming of the past.”

Obi-wan regarded her for a long moment, before shaking his head again. “Come on, then. Let’s prepare you to leave. I’ve been here before, and I don’t particularly care to sightsee.”

In her hut, she gathered her belongings. A few rock carved figures, a cot, and a winter coat that she often slept under at night. It was all she owned, so it didn’t take long.

Obi-Wan took one glance at her small pile of belongings and shook his head, wrinkling his nose as he took her rolled up winter coat and three little rock carvings, taking them to the ship. He left the cot.

“There are beds on the ship.” He said, when she frowned. 

She pursed her lips and whispered goodbye to her cot, _Nik_. It was a name she saw on a name tag once in an office somewhere she couldn’t remember. She ignored the odd look the Jedi Master gave her as she hugged it goodbye.

With a reluctant Obi-Wan trailing behind her, Mila happily chatted one last time with the porgs and said goodbye to the thala sirens as she filled her last jug of green milk. He was silent, observant, patient. She felt bittersweet as the porgs ignored her one last time. Now it would be real people who ignored her for a change instead of the bright eyed little birds of this island. Her world was going to get a lot bigger.

After the sunset, and a last meal of grass, Obi-Wan announced that it was time to leave.

The village buzzed on the shore as Mila reached the ship. She hugged them each goodbye. Puahi stood at the end, and Mila held her for a long time, tears running down her face.

“ _May the force be with you._ ” Puahi said to her. _Stop crying, child. I will always be with you._

Mila nodded, finally joining Obi-Wan on the platform. The first step made her heart race, as she stepped from the rocks onto the metal ramp leading into the ship.

“Goodbye!” Mila waved excitedly, wiping her eyes. “I will miss you all.”

They waved goodbye, and Obi-Wan guided her up the ramp.

Mila walked onto the ship nervously behind Obi-Wan. As a droid assisted him powering up the ship, she looked around. It was spacious, big enough for four or more passengers to sleep and live on long journeys. 

There was no dejarik table, and that’s what Mila thought made it seem very cold and clinical. Clean but not homey. 

Obi-Wan nodded to a seat next to him. 

“Sit here with me for takeoff.” He told her, not quite meeting her eye. Perhaps her crying made him uncomfortable.

She strapped herself in, admiring the massive array of switches and buttons in the cockpit. 

“Wow” She breathed. “What does this one do?”

“No, don’t-” Obi-Wan sighed heavily as she flinched. “Just… don’t touch anything, alright? Not unless you want to be stuck here another ten years.”

Before she knew it, Ahch-To was just a small speck, growing smaller as they jumped into hyperspeed. When the ship slowed a few minutes later, several planets were visible ahead. Obi-Wan flicked a few switches and set course for a fuel station.

Then he stood. Mila didn’t know what to do, so she stood with him. Obi-Wan blinked, as if only just remembering she was there.

“Right... we will be staying overnight on our way to Tatooine.” He informed her.

“Tatooine.” She repeated. “What’s in Tatooine?”

“Desert.” Obi-Wan said, blandly.

“Oh.” Mila said. 

He walked towards the back of the ship and she followed.

Without turning, he sighed. He seemed to do that often. Sigh and run a hand through his beard. As if walking around the cabin of the ship was exhausting. Then again, he had been up all night.

“The washroom’s behind the door with the green light. I’m going to grab you something to wear.”

Mila glanced down at her worn garb, and decided that she probably could do with some clothes that weren’t torn or a bit smelly. It wasn’t like they had unlimited resources on the island. But now that she was around the jedi master, she felt self-conscious about her appearance.

Mila looked around, easily finding the door with the green light. Inside was a shower and a toilet. She hadn’t seen a modern one in ten years.

She trailed a finger over the shiny sink faucet when there was a knock at the door.  
She opened it, and Obi-Wan handed her a stack of clothes.

“You have about thirty minutes before we land.” He said simply, before walking away.

Mila was still a bit shell-shocked by being on a ship for the first time in a decade, so she just accepted the stack and stepped inside. It took her about ten minutes to figure out the faucets and get the water at the right temperature, but when she did, she almost melted into the warm water.

Her first warm shower in almost ten years.

She scrubbed herself raw, rinsing the layers of dirt and grime away from her hair and body. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a proper washing with shampoo and conditioner. The lanai made soaps from thala siren blubber, but it wasn’t the same. It definitely didn’t smell as heavenly as this.

She tried pulling out the knots and combing her long hair with her fingertips. It was practically hopeless.

She dried herself off and dressed in the simple stack of grey pants and a white cotton shirt that were given to her. They were a bit snug. Clearly made for a woman, but for a much smaller one. The shirt drifted up her midsection, and the pants clung to her thighs and butt.

Or maybe it was the fashion? She had the most difficulty with the scarf thing. Why did she have to wear a scarf if it was warm enough to wear such small clothes?

She shrugged, letting it hang around her neck. She wrapped her hair up in the towel and stepped into the hallway, barefoot. 

Obi-Wan was back in the cockpit, and she sat timidly at his side. He didn’t spare her a glance, but he told her to buckle in.

“Did I take too long?”

He shook his head, still focused on the panel.

“We’re going to be landing now, so you’re right on time. We’ll get you some clothes and… ” He looked at her, then and blinked. 

“And?” She questioned, brows furrowed.

He looked ahead, clearing his throat. “Shoes.” He said softly. “Er, ones that fit you properly.”

Mila felt her cheeks warm, an unusual feeling. Why should she care what this man thinks of the way her body looks in her clothes? It was her body, not his. 

Perhaps she was just feeling a bit flight-sick.

“Fit me properly…” She repeated, pulling her hair from the towel. It was longer and curlier than she remembered. It had been in braids for so long. Easier to maintain. It was still a bit tangled, but it smelled amazing. The damp strands tumbled down her chest to her navel.  
She began to separate her hair down the middle to braid it. “But I can’t pay for things, I have no money.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes were trained dutifully ahead. “I will buy them for you.”

“Really?” She grinned. “Thank you.”

He didn’t respond, just flicked a few switches and descended into the orange planet. 

It was a bustling metropolis, with lots of ships blasting by in every direction. Obi wan stood after landing at the fuel part, and Mila followed him wordlessly. He threw on a brown hood and passed a similar one to Mila.

“Here, we want to remain inconspicuous as there are many eyes searching for any remaining Jedi. We will be quick to get what we need and then return back to the ship without talking to anyone, understood? There is a hotel in another city on this planet, we can go there after refueling”

“Right, okay.” Mila nodded, taking the cloak.

She shrugged it on, and followed him down the ramp. He paid an attendant at the fuel station and then nodded towards an alley. Mila followed behind, heart racing as they stepped into a busy street.

The place was bustling with life. There were stalls of goods everywhere and hoards of many different species buzzing around them. 

Obi-Wan strode with purpose past the stalls of dried meats and fruits, the glass lamps and jewelry and into a storefront at the end of the street. Mila took everything in with a wide smile, trying her best to keep up. She stuck behind him, even as they entered the shop.

A Hutt spoke to Obi-Wan, and gestured to a section in the far corner. Mila reached a hand out to touch the soft-looking blankets on display, but before she could touch them, Obi-Wan grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her towards the back.

“Don’t touch anything,” Obi-Wan said quietly as he tugged her past the large Hutt. “We just need a few things.”

Obi-Wan turned around, searching for something

The Hutt roared, and suddenly a tall Twi’lek woman burst through the back door. Long chains were tied to her ankles. Mila eyed them curiously. Was she a slave? 

She had to be... but why were there still slaves in the galaxy if the empire had taken over? It was outlawed under the republic… shouldn’t the new order uphold those laws? It only seemed logical that slavery was wrong. 

“Sorry, master.” The woman said in a silky voice, bowing to the Hutt. Then she sauntered over to Obi-Wan. “Can I help you, handsome?”

Obi-Wan nodded, “We need clothes for her. Undergarments, shoes, those things. A few outfits will do.” He gestured to Mila.

The Twi’lek woman smiled, clapping her hands as she turned to Mila. 

“Oh?” She walked around Mila slowly. “Such a pretty little one. Such lovely smooth skin and big expressive eyes. And that body! You have good hips... I know just what you need.” 

She disappeared, returning with a hanger that hardly had anything on it.

Mila took it hesitantly, holding it up to her body in the mirror. It was deep crimson, filled with ropes tied in careful knots and small strips of fabric. Mila frowned, was this considered clothing?

“This is, er.” Obi-Wan cleared his throat, shaking his head. “It’s not what we’re looking for.”

“But don’t you want to dress up your plaything?” The Twi’lek pouted. “She would look ravishing in red, don’t you think?”

“Plaything?” Mila said, furrowing her brows. 

The Twi’lek woman laughed, nudging Obi-Wan. “Oh, she’s rather innocent, isn’t she? You’ll have lots of fun breaking her.” 

““No, that’s not what we’re….” Obi-Wan shook his head furiously. “We’re actually looking for something more active. For the, the… uh.” He trailed off, the tips of his ears turning red.

Mila tilted her head curiously at his reaction. So oddly flustered for a seemingly composed man. It was endearing.

“For… the desert?” Mila offered, arching an eyebrow as she smiled at him. 

It was like he had forgotten the word, with all the woman’s talk of training her. Why would a man with a trainee be embarrassed about that?

“Ah!” The woman nodded, sagely. “My apologies, this must be your daughter, then. I see. Please forgive me.”

Obi-Wan’s mouth opened and then swiftly shut again, he covered his mouth with his hand.

“Exactly.” Mila grinned at Obi-Wan’s obvious discomfort. “He’s my father. So, if you will please… can you help me find clothes for the desert?”

Mila winked at Obi-Wan as the woman disappeared again. He smiled weakly back at her. Mila laughed, nudging him.

He needed to loosen up. Who cares what some shopkeeper in the outer rim thought of them? They were never going to see this woman again, why not have a little fun? Besides, they couldn’t outright say he was a Jedi. It was the perfect cover.

The woman returned with a deep turquoise breezy dress, and a few pairs of pants and shirts. She ushered Mila into a changing room and measured her for undergarments.

They left the shop with two bags of clothes, and Mila thanked him profusely. His shoulders were tense, and he seemed to ignore her until they turned onto a side street. His head moved around, searching for something. Then he came to a sudden stop, and Mila walked straight into his back. 

He didn’t react. Before she could open her mouth to apologize, he held up a finger. She looked ahead to see what had stopped him.

Up ahead was a massive battalion of stormtroopers. She sensed the danger, then, making herself smaller behind Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan drew in a sharp breath, glancing backwards at her. 

“Just stay behind me, and don’t look at them.” He told her quietly. “If I run, you run. Do as I do, but stay quiet. Ready?”

Mila nodded. “Ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading <3 let me know what you think.


End file.
